Family Vacation Ideas: 5 Kids Friendly Festivals in the UK

Festival season is in full swing, and it’s the perfect opportunity to dust off your bones and start practising your best air guitar moves and hair swings. You don’t have to be up for all-night raving to enjoy a festival (we know, we’re getting old) – and you also don’t need to leave the kids at home. In fact, there are plenty of music festivals that cater for younger kids, with fun-filled programmes and activities to keep them occupied, as well as family-friendly acts taking to the stage. Today, we’ve selected 5 super cool kids friendly festivals in the UK, perfect for introducing the young ones to the live music world.

Boardmasters Festival – Newquay, Cornwall, August 8-12

Music and extreme sports mix at this annual summer fest in Watergate Bay. The line-up is always strong, and this year is no different with performances from Catfish and the Bottlemen, The Chemical Brothers, and George Ezra as headliners. Surfing and wakeboarding take place off-shore and there’s also skateboarding and BMX biking. Accommodation is easy – as well as standard camping and glamping options, you can arrange for helpers to take your equipment to the site – and there are also hotels and self-catering within easy reach. Weekend tickets start from £160 for adults. Child tickets are just £2 but must be bought in conjunction with an adult ticket.

Curious Arts Festival – New Forest, July 20-22

Located on a privately owned country estate in Hampshire, this boutique festival is like a scaled-down Latitude, mixing literature and music. As for the line-up, you can expect music from John Newman, Milky Chance and the new kid on the block Isaac Gracie, literary musings from Matt Haig and Dolly Alderton, and stand-up comedy from Al Murray to name a few. And for James Bond fans, the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra will be closing the festival with a very exciting performance of the film series’ iconic songs You can dip in for the day or make a break of it either pitching a tent or taking the glamping option. It’s notably kid-friendly too – there’s storytelling, screenings of classic children’s films, plenty of games, puppet making and an Alice in Wonderland themed tea party.

Splendor Festival – Nottingham, July 21

This musical extravaganza takes place right by the heart of the city centre, so it’s the perfect excuse to book in a city break if you want to make a long weekend of it. The line-up will include performances from Paloma Faith, The Charlatans, Marc Almond and Bjorn Again, but as well as music there will be loads of entertainment on offer, food stalls, and even a separate stage with a whole other host of musical appearances. Meanwhile, kids will no doubt love the fairground rides and the free, dedicated kids’ area which will have a host of workshops and activities on offer.

Bestival – Dorset, August 2-6

Bestival is always top of music lovers’ summer to-do lists, and this year’s line-up hasn’t disappointed, with London Grammar, Silk City (Mark Ronson and Diplo) and M.I.A, all set to perform. There will be plenty of different areas on offer from an ‘Ambient Forest’ to the Instagrammable ‘Colour Field’, but for those bringing kids then it’s ‘The Lawn’ which may prove to be a hit. Featuring delicious food (and decadent tipples for the adults) there will be a dedicated kids’ area – including one for toddlers- as well as a bouncy castle, bug workshops, Lego play tent, face painting and even magicians.

Monstrous Festival – London, July 29

Monstrous, which is aimed at 4-14-year-olds, will offer up a host of exciting activities, musical extravaganzas, discos, and plenty of games and sports to keep the whole family entertained. There’s a soccer club, arcade alley, fancy dress, DJ’s and disco balls, so there really is something for everybody.

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